Gan Guoyang’s positioning for Yao Ming is very precise, and Old Tang’s utilization of Yao Ming is also on point, making him a highly efficient interior finisher.
In certain situations, Yao Ming’s efficiency in the interior is comparable to a three-point shooter on the perimeter; he just needs the right tactics and support.
Aside from these, Yao Ming has some issues in pick-and-roll defense, defending small players, protecting defensive rebounds, and his offensive range needs improvement.
Some shortcomings, restricted by talent, cannot be easily overcome, but through skill and experience, the impact can be minimized.
In the third game, Little O’Neal often pulled near the free throw line for pick-and-roll operations, causing significant trouble for Yao Ming.
Little O’Neal changed from the excessive low-post play in the first two games, adding mid-range and face-up breakthroughs, and while attacking Yao Ming, he involved Gan Guoyang’s help defense, disrupting Glory’s defensive setup.
Once Glory’s defensive setup was mobilized, combined with Kobe and Reed’s three-point shots from the outside, the Trail Blazers gained an advantage on offense and won the game.
Although Yao Ming is somewhat immature, he is indeed an indispensable key point in the interior for Glory.
After all, Ewing is getting older, and the most he can do is split playing time with Yao Ming, unable to handle the Three Second Zone entirely by himself.
Malik Rose, who performed well in the Eastern Conference Finals, struggled in the Finals, almost getting blocked dizzy by Big Ben.
Therefore, different players will have varying performances and roles against different opponents.
Rose, playing against Boston’s heavy lineup, can utilize his agility to cause trouble and be effective.
But in the Finals, when facing mobile interiors like Little O and Big Ben, there’s little room for his performance.
Instead, a tower like Yao Ming plays a more crucial role.
Although Old Tang can’t coach on the court, every series, each game, he will pinpoint key points to emphasize, repeatedly reinforcing them to ensure the team stays on track.
After all, within the entire Glory Team, if anyone has the strongest championship heart, Old Tang would definitely be one of them.
Like Ewing, this might be his last chance to win a championship; after this season, he plans to retire due to health reasons.
Yao Ming understands Tomjanovich’s painstaking efforts, keeping his words firmly in mind, watching tapes later to plan his performance for the next game.
On June 11th, the fourth battle between both sides commenced at the MGM Center, a pivotal game deciding the Finals’ trajectory.
The starting lineups for both teams remained unchanged, with Yao Ming in the jump ball against Big Ben at the center circle.
Big Ben has played as Allen Iverson in front of Yao Ming for three games now, his condition is improving, finding some ways to deal with Yao Ming.
He senses that Yao Ming’s energy and stamina aren’t great, planning to continuously exhaust him from the start, making him pant and rest on his knees.
This way, by the third and fourth quarters, Yao Ming would barely have any stamina left, significantly reducing his threat.
If Glory sends out Rose, it will play right into the hands of Big Ben and Little O’Neal, as Rose is strictly contained by the two.
Before the jump ball, Porter sat on the sidelines as tonight’s coach again, feeling the note in his pocket that Old Tang had given him yesterday at the coach’s home.
This was Old Tang’s secret pouch, enabling Porter to resolve crises when encountering certain issues.
The game began, though Big Ben was short, he jumped quickly and had strong bounce, touching the ball first.
The Trail Blazers initiated their first attack of the fourth game.
Tonight, the Trail Blazers were determined to win, with the third game’s victory boosting their confidence greatly.
Kobe and Little O’Neal have reconciled, realizing that the only true opponent is Ah Gan.
Let go of the obsession to surpass him and prove themselves; first, they should focus on how to defeat Glory.
Ah Gan is not just an individual; he’s a part of the Glory Team and needs to be addressed as a whole rather than targeting just Ah Gan.
Kobe controls the ball, Anderson moves off-ball; this marks a change in the Trail Blazers’ offense, with Kobe increasing his ball-handling and playmaking role.
Holding the ball on the perimeter, Kobe’s three-point threat is substantial; the last game he went 5-for-9 from three, forcing Jordan to expand defense on Kobe.
This caused Glory’s defensive setup to become overly exposed, pulled apart, providing the Trail Blazers with more opportunities. This change was significant.
In response, the Trail Blazers pushed their defensive setup forward, with Yao Ming guarding the Three Second Zone inside.
Seeing this, Kobe pick-and-rolled with Little O’Neal, passing to the cutting Big Ben, who likes to start strong.
But as Big Ben drove to the basket for the dunk, he was blocked by the help-defending Yao Ming!
A beautiful block, Yao Ming predicted the Trail Blazers’ attack strategy.
After gaining control of the ball, Yao Ming immediately passed to Jordan, who dribbled past half court.
Calming the pace down, he passed centrally, with Gan Guoyang transitioning, followed by a shift to the wing, then a return pass, and an inside cut.
Yao Ming received the ball, turned around, faced Big Ben’s defense, and easily scored with a hook shot, securing the game’s first point!
Glory still chose to have Yao Ming spearhead, utilizing his height and touch advantage to rip open the Trail Blazers’ defense.
The difference here is that Glory increased the transition passes instead of having Yao Ming attack the basket directly from deep positions.
This added tactical deception, making it easier for Trail Blazers to lose focus during defense.
After all, Gan Guoyang poses a significant threat from the perimeter, and just one additional transition pass can create gaps and vulnerabilities for the Trail Blazers.
Kobe quickly scored a three-pointer from the arc top, putting the Trail Blazers ahead.
Indeed, Kobe’s three-point shooting was superb this season, and after the third game, he decided to further increase his three-point attempts.
He wondered how foolish he was not to follow Ah Gan’s strategy of using threes to dominate the league effectively.
How come he forgot during the Finals and stubbornly stuck to replicating Jordan’s style against Glory?
The efficiency and tactical flexibility brought by threes undoubtedly benefited the Trail Blazers immensely.
Truth be told, the Trail Blazers’ three-point prowess, once the best in the league, had declined in recent seasons, a strategic oversight.
Rick Carlisle, failing to achieve the offensive firepower and fluidity seen during Ah Gan’s time, made adjustments.
He reduced three-point attempts, building foundation on defense, favoring defensive basketball.
This approach isn’t wrong, as threes increase uncertainty, leading to more long rebounds and enabling opponents quick counter-attacks, not suited for grinding battles.
However, against Glory, grinding battles are futile, with super offensive points like Ah Gan and Jordan, grinding battles only harm the Trail Blazers.
Carlisle was forced to shift strategies, focusing on offense, liberating Kobe’s perimeter three attempts, revitalizing the Trail Blazers’ attack.
Glory didn’t increase defensive focus on Kobe’s threes but continued patiently playing a passing game on offense.
The Trail Blazers’ defensive intensity eased compared to previous games, proving excessively high intensity can be ineffective, leading to player fatigue and stifling their offensive capabilities.
Seizing the opportunity, Gan Guoyang drove toward the basket, bounce-passing to the cutting Yao Ming, who caught and dunked!
In the opening, Yao Ming achieved a hook, a mid-range shot, and a dunk, securing 6 points, showcasing great form tonight.
On the defensive end, Yao Ming intercepted Little O’Neal’s pass; he’s too tall, disrupted Little O’Neal’s interior pass.
"Nice job, did Old Tang pass you some skills yesterday?" Gan Guoyang yelled at Yao Ming during the counter-attack.
"He did! Muscle Strengthening Scripture!" Despite being near exhaustion mentally and physically, Yao Ming remained optimistic even during such a match.
In the counter-attack, the ball shifted to the wing, Gerald Wallace received it but missed the jumper, and Yao Ming grabbed the offensive rebound.
Passing to Gan Guoyang, who redistributed to the cutting Jordan; in mid-air, Jordan made a major hand shift, delivering the ball into the basket!
Following the score, Yao Ming, Gan Guoyang, and Jordan high-fived each other, leading 12-7, taking the initiative in the fourth game.
Evidently, the Glory Team played relaxed tonight, as both teams entered a timeout phase.
Porter took out the note, read Tomjanovich’s advice to use Ewing more and minimize Rose’s usage.
"Patrick better suits countering the Trail Blazers’ interior; partnering Yao, Ewing, and Ah Gan will be more effective."
Porter naturally agreed with Tomjanovich’s strategy, and after the official timeout ended, Ewing subbed in, replacing the well-performing but resting-needed Yao Ming.
Ewing and Yao Ming high-fived as substitutes; the league’s oldest center and the newly entered rookie contributed to the championship quest.